42
When I came to, I could feel that the van was moving. My arms were tied together behind my back and I was gagged. Panicking, I squirmed against my bindings, but they held strong. I seemed to be tethered to the floorboards, because something was stopping me from shuffling forward. Anxious and scared I tried to use my soulfinder link to contact Will and tell him what had happened, but there seemed to be some sort of block.
"She's awake, Gregory. You obviously didn't hit her hard enough, you idiot. Give her some chloroform, that'll keep her quiet."
"Yes, Mistress."
I felt the van grind to a half. The back doors opened, and the light blinded me. Someone climbed in, their face obscured by a mask that covered all but their eyes, cloth in hand. My breaths came quicker, and I backed myself further into my corner as he advanced. He pressed the cloth against my face, pressing my head against the wall. My head was still hurting from where I'd been hit earlier, and my eyes watered as he shoved me unceremoniously into the wall again. He pressed the cloth into my face, the chemicals making my eyes water.
"Deep breaths, sweetheart." I held my breath for as long as I could, knowing chloroform's effect. I hadn't watched years of cop shows for nothing. My eyes watered and my cheeks went red, until my body betrayed me and I gasped for breath. He kept the cloth pressed against my face as I took a couple more breaths, my body beginning to slump against my will, my eyes rolling back into the back of my head.
Will! I tried one more time, as I watched the man climb out of the van, closing the doors behind him. My eyes closed. It was dark again.
When I next woke up, I was wearing what seemed like a hospital gown. It certainly wasn't my running gear, that was for sure. My hands were free and my gag had been removed. My feet were bare, but I was still wearing my own underwear and sports bra- that was reassuring at least. I ran my hand over my head, feeling the bump that was now there. It hurt when I touched it. Aside from a few minor cuts and scrapes, I couldn't see any other injuries when I checked myself over.
Satisfied I was okay physically, I began to pay more attention to my surroundings. I was sat on a single mattress that was pressed against the wall furthest away from the door. There was a toilet and a threadbare chair on the opposite wall. To say it was sparsely furnished was an understatement. The blue metal door was the only source of colour, and it was faded and scratched. Shuffling, so I was leaning against the wall I tried to contact Will again, but was met with the same mental block I'd encountered in the van. I tried Alice instead, but had no luck. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried harder, opening them only when someone's voice interrupted the silence.
"Stay on the bed. We're coming in." Gulping, I did as instructed. The door opened and two people walked in: Pam and a guy who looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place him.
"Pam?" I asked in horror, still failing to believe that she was the one who'd done this to me. She laughed.
"Sorry, dear, I'm not Pam." And she transformed before my very eyes. Her body grew, lengthening and slimming as she did. Her hair changed shade, her crooked nose shrunk back into her face and her eyes widened. Blinking in disbelief, I struggled to understand how Pam had morphed into the statuesque blonde woman who stood before me.
"I'm the collector." She leered. "Pam's buried in a field in Oklahoma." I choked on my breath.
Stay away from me. I commanded, putting as much strength as I could into the command.
"Oh, Alexis." She trilled. "That won't work on me! I took the power of the greatest savant shield that ever lived. Didn't you wonder why your messages to Will were failing?" My heart pounded against my chest.
"See, I collect powers. That's my gift, you see. I'm a collector." I could hardly breathe. She was a shield and she could transform at will. What the hell else could she do?
"Sure, I'm a soulseeker thanks to the Countessa- she was weak after the Benedicts were through with her, I can shield, I can transform, I can conjure water out of thin air." A ball of water hovered over her palm as she proved her point. It vanished when she clicked her fingers. "But I want more." Her eyes glittered like a serpent's.
"See, Gregory here can detect those with the greatest powers." She ran her fingernails up his arm and he blushed. I felt sick. "At the convention he was drawn to you like a moth to a flame." My eyes flitted across to him and I shuddered. His lank, greasy hair fell in his face, and his brown teeth grinned down at me.
"Every year, Greg goes to the convention, scouts out the talent, and then…" She paused for dramatic effect, her eyes narrowing "we go hunting." Greg grinned manically.
"He's no intention of causing trouble, so he gets in through security. Little Greggy only wants to take pictures, don't you Greg." He nodded.
"I like taking pictures when mistress tells me to." He nodded. The man was quite clearly deranged- I could see it in his eyes. I didn't know what she'd done to poor Greg, but there was nothing behind his eyes- he was nothing but a pawn to her. "Did you like my pictures, Alexis?"
"You?!" I accused. This was the culprit. He grinned, giving me a great view of his brown teeth. He was a ready- made advert for dental hygienists everywhere.
"Yes, him. But it's been hard, Alexis. For how can I collect powers when savants only meet annually? There's just not enough opportunity, and it takes forever to track people down, which is where you come in. I want the Net's records."
"I don't have their records."
"No, you don't." She agreed. "But your soulfinder does. See, I've been trying to gain access to the Net for years with no success, so imagine my shock when Will Benedict's soulfinder turns out to have one of the greatest powers Greg's ever seen. We've been planning ever since."
"I got to meet her friend, didn't I mistress?"
"Yes, you did, Greggy." She agreed. "You liked Annie didn't you, Greg?" My blood ran cold. "She told us a lot about you, Alexis. But we just had to alter her memory afterwards, didn't we?" Greg nodded. My mind was reeling. It made sense now- that's why Annie couldn't remember anything about her date, when I asked her about it.
"We thought that Will would bring you over sooner when we sent the photos. I must admit I got desperate- impersonating Pam to try and see if her computer had their details. I mean, you must understand, Alexis, we'd tried in the UK, but those pesky body guards Will had set up. Uriel could tell the photos were dangerous and dear Will took every precaution." She tssked in annoyance. "But now, you're here!" She beamed. "Those records are within my grasp."
"Now, don't worry, Alexis, you're going to be fine." Funnily enough, her promise did little to reassure me. "We both know you aren't really a big fan of the whole soulfinder thing. I mean, what with what happened to your sister and all. My brother really was very upset that his son got caught up in all that. Such a waste of talent." The seer was this woman's brother? From what Will had told me about how they'd rescued Phee, 'The Collector' seemed just as power- crazed as her brother.
"See, because I took the Countessa's power, I can get rid of your link to Will and you'll be free." Gregory coughed pointedly.
"You said she'd be with me." He growled.
"And she will be." She promised, stroking his cheek to appease him. "Once we've got the records I'll cut the connection, we just need her as a bargaining chip for now. Will won't give us them if he knows the bond's been broken. Then I'll cut the bond, alter her memories, and after a little tinkering she'll be utterly in love with you." Gregory dazed at me and I was repulsed. "Patience, Gregory." He nodded, reassured.
"What? No!" I cried, breaking myself from my trance. I got up from the mattress and threw myself at her, but I was immobilised in mid- air.
"Now, now, Alexis." She simpered, floating me back down to the bed. "Stay." My body was frozen- I had no choice but to obey. I didn't know what this power of hers was, but it was terrifying.
"Gregory, tie her up. We don't want her hurting herself while I'm gone." Gone? What did that mean? Where was she going? I watched in horror as she began to transform again, her body morphing until she'd transformed into me.
I was effectively standing in front of myself.
"Now, I'm just off to see Will. 'Pam' told him there was an emergency at the office, but he'll be on his way back now. I just need to persuade him." She giggled, walking towards me and placing her hand on my forehead. Whatever she'd done to me meant I couldn't fight her.
"Sorry, Alexis, I forgot to say: this is going to hurt rather a lot." There was a prickly sensation where she touched me. It grew, burning stronger and stronger until it felt like my skull was cracking beneath her fingers. I screamed in agony. It was like a white-hot poker wear searing brain. My eyes rolled back into my head, and the world turned black once more.
I didn't know how long it had been, but I woke to icy cold water being thrown over me. It jerked me out of my stupor. 'The collector' was standing over me, her nostrils flaring like an angry dragon.
"It didn't work." She seethed. "He threw off the command, and he knew it wasn't me. How did he do that? I had to teleport out of there." She grabbed me by my hair and pulled me to face her. I gritted my teeth, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting me.
"Was that a rhetorical question?" I asked. She slammed me to the floor, before pulling me up once more.
"I'll ask again: why didn't it work?" I didn't answer. Will was the only person who could throw off my commands. He'd shown that at the convention. He was my soulfinder, and he could tell that she was an imposter because he didn't feel the bond. She was stupid if she couldn't work that out, and I wasn't going to tell her.
She flew me across the room again. I smacked against the wall, my body crumpling on impact and falling to the floor. I could feel blood pouring from my nose and I wheezed.
"I'll be back in an hour and I expect an answer." She left, slamming the door behind her.
This continued ten times. I kept count by making a mark on the wall each time she came in when it passed three. I wouldn't give in I promised myself. Although I no longer had my power, the one weakness of her gift was that the power she'd forcibly taken from someone didn't work on that person. I was so grateful for her quirk- I knew that with my gift I'd have told her all I wanted to know and more. On the eleventh time she went too hard and I passed out before she'd finished.
When I next woke, the bleeding had stopped, but I was in a different room. There was nothing but a bucket in the corner, and I was shivering in my thin gown. My eye was swollen shut and my head was pounding. I could see her standing in the corner.
"Now, Alexis, I'm giving you one more chance to co-operate." I shook my head. Over my dead body would I co-operate with this witch.
"Fine. Have it your way. Did you know, I met a savant in Borneo. He taught me how to inflict pain without causing any physical damage. Would you like a demonstration?" I didn't answer.
"It's searing, the pain. It drives savants mad- they lose their minds. Let's see how you fare." Her last tactic was a walk in the park compared to this; they weren't comparable on the pain scale. Every last inch of my skin was burning. I screamed until my lungs were hoarse. It felt like an eternity.
"Half an hour. Impressive." She grinned. "I'll break you yet. Have a think, Alexis. I'll be back in an hour."
They kept it up for two days. I didn't give in. She started taunting me:
"Where's Will now?" She cackled. "He hasn't even noticed you're gone, Alexis. Why are you protecting him? I saw him out with some other girl."
I didn't believe her and she changed tact when she realised.
The only break I got from the onslaught was when they brought me food and water- two slices of stale bread and a cup of water for each meal. My stomach felt like it was eating itself, but that was the least of my worries.
The next time she came in, it lasted for two hours- a combination of her first and second methods, while Gregory filmed. She told me they were sending it to Will- proof that they had me.
"Alexis, Alexis" she murmured. I heard the camera whirring, zooming in on my face.
"Should Will give me those records?" I coughed up blood, retching. I couldn't breathe.
"No, don't do it, Will." I mumbled. I could barely speak. The pain started again. I couldn't keep track of the hours any more- I didn't know if it was day or night, they all blurred into one. They kept the lights on, and played music so loud I couldn't sleep. When I still refused to co-operate, they kept the lights off at all times, turning them on only when I ate and when the collector came and brought pain. I cowered in the corner, my hands thrown over my ears. I was so cold, so very cold. I could feel it in my bones. My teeth were chattering so hard I thought they were going to shatter.
"His family are trying so hard to help, but they won't find you." She'd got bored of mentally torturing me and had gone back to throwing me at walls. I was pretty sure my left arm was broken. It was hanging at an unnatural angle and it really hurt. I didn't know how much more I could take.
"Wake up, chicky!" She scratched my cheek with her nails and I flinched. "We've got a big day ahead." She grinned, stuffing something into my mouth, and securing it. "We're going to meet your soulfinder."
I screamed into the gag and shake my head. If we were going to see Will it meant he was going to give her the Net's records. I couldn't live with that on my conscience.
"There's nothing you can do, dear. Don't worry, I'll get the records, we'll get rid of that pesky soulfinder connection and I'll do some tinkering so you can happily live out the rest of your life with Gregory." I shook my head fiercely. She produced a gun from behind her back, and brandished it in front of me. "One false move and I'll lodge a bullet in his brain." She warned.
"Greg, bring the chloroform." The cloth was in my face and I prayed before the darkness consumed me that she was lying.
XXX
I was back in the van. Gregory was next to me. My feet were cuffed and my arms were cuffed behind my back. Greg pulled me to my feet, keeping a firm hold on my bicep.
"Follow me." Exhausted, I did as he instructed.
"I came alone, as you asked." I heard someone say. Greg led me out of the van. We were on what looked like an abandoned air field.
"Where is she?" We rounded the corner and I saw Will talking to the collector. I screamed as I saw what he'd handed her. His head whipped round as he saw me.
"Lex! God, what have you done to her, you sick b*stards?" He ran towards me, but Greg pressed his gun to my temple and he stopped. The collector produced her own gun, and aimed it at him.
"I need to check the data. I don't trust it's not encrypted. I'm not as stupid as my brother. We'll back in two days." I saw the agony on Will's face as Greg bundled me back into the van. I heard gun shots as we pulled off, and I panicked. The collector was still blocking my connection to Will, so I didn't know if he was okay.
"Silly boy." She tittered. "I distinctly remember telling him not to move." I thrashed against my bindings, and shouted into the gag. "Greg, hit her. We're out of chloroform." He obliged.
When I came round I could hear the two of them talking. If I still had my gift I'd be able to overpower her- I just knew it in my bones. She was tapping away at a computer, her beady eyes alight with delight. We were somewhere new again this time. It was a wooden hall- large, and with nothing but the chair she was sat on. I was leant against the wall furthest from the door. Greg was stood beside her, peering over her shoulder.
"She's awake." Greg announced. She looked up, before glancing back down at her laptop, totally engrossed.
"Can you cut the connection now?"
"Give me a minute." She snapped, still tapping away furiously.
"But you promised!" She closed her laptop with an audible snap.
"Fine. But only because the files don't seem to be encrypted. Time is precious, Gregory." She towered over me, and I squirmed as far as I could into the wall as she approached.
"Say goodbye to your old life, Alexis. When you next wake up, you'll think I'm your mother and Gregory here is your husband. I think you'll be called Anna." She laughed as I cried out, wide eyed, and tried to move away from her.
She immobilised me, and I felt her cut the connection. The memory tampering came next. I refused to let her take them too. I kept repeating the same mantra in my head.
'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will Benedict. My parents are Brian and Liz, I have a brother called Jack and a sister called Alice.'
'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will Benedict. My parents are Brian and Liz, I have a brother and a sister.'
'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will. I have a brother and a sister.'
'My name is Alexis Anderson. My soulfinder is Will.'
'My name is Alexis Anderson.'
'My name is…' I paused. What was my name?
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Thanks to everyone that reviewed. The next chapter will be up next week, or I'll put it up as soon as we hit 440 reviews :)